1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of games, specifically to games played with dice, and more specifically to the casino game of craps.
2. Prior Art
Craps is a casino game played by rolling a pair of dice repeatedly. The principal bet in craps, known as the pass line bet, works as follows. On the first roll, called the “come-out” roll, there are three possibilities. If 7 or 11 is rolled (a “natural”), the pass line bet is won. If 2, 3, or 12 is rolled (a “craps number”), the pass line bet is lost. If any other number is rolled, namely 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the shooter's “point.” If the point is repeated before 7 is rolled, the bet is won. If 7 is rolled before the point is repeated, the bet is lost. The pass line bet pays even money.
The pass line bet can be lost in either of two ways: Either the shooter rolls a craps number (2, 3, or 12) on the come-out roll, or he establishes a point and subsequently “sevens-out.” In the former case, the same shooter continues to roll the dice. In the latter case, a new shooter takes control of the dice. Since most players at the craps table bet with the shooter, the shooter is motivated to win as many and lose as few pass line bets as possible before the inevitable seven-out. Rolling a craps number on a come-out roll is therefore something almost every shooter wants to avoid.
With this in mind, the casino game of Crapless Craps™ was first offered in 1981 at Bob Stupak's Vegas World. The game is not patented (its first usage was prior to 1981 in illegal private games), but its name is a registered trademark, owned by Bob Stupak (reg. no. 1610171, Aug. 14, 1990). The same game is also offered in several Mississippi casinos under the name Never Ever Craps™, a registered trademark of Grand Casinos Inc. (reg. no. 2590230, Jul. 9, 2002). The idea behind Crapless Craps is that, if, by a minor change in the rules, the possibility of losing a pass line bet on the come-out roll could be eliminated, the game would be considerably more enjoyable.
In Crapless Craps, therefore, the craps numbers 2, 3, and 12 are no longer automatic losers for the pass line bettor, but becomes points, just like 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Similarly, 11 is no longer an automatic winner for the pass line bettor, but becomes a point. Consequently, the rules for the pass line bet are as follows. On the come-out roll, there are two possibilities. If 7 is rolled, the pass line bet is won. If any other number is rolled, namely 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, that number becomes the shooter's point. If the point is repeated before 7 is rolled, the bet is won. If 7 is rolled before the point is repeated, the bet is lost. The pass line bet pays even money.
The beauty of Crapless Craps is that it retains the basic structure of standard craps, while eliminating the the possibility of losing the pass line bet on the come-out roll. Unfortunately, there are three serious drawbacks to Crapless Craps, which have relegated the game to an insignificant role in the world of casino gambling. (For example, it is currently offered at only one Las Vegas casino.) The three drawbacks are the following.
(a) In standard craps, one can bet with the shooter or against him. To bet against the shooter, one makes a don't pass bet, which is the reverse of the pass line bet (i.e., the criteria for winning and losing are reversed, and the bet pays even money), with one exception: If 12 is rolled on the come-out roll, the don't pass bet is tied rather than won. In Crapless Craps, there is no don't pass bet, so one is obliged to bet with the shooter. Although only a small percentage of crapshooters bet the don't pass consistently, many like to have it available when the table is “cold.” Also, having the ability to bet on either side of a proposition helps to provide some assurance that the game is honest.
(b) In standard craps, even after a point has been established, the player still has at least a 1 in 3 chance of winning his pass line bet, regardless of the point. In Crapless Craps, if the point 2 or the point 12 is established, the shooter has only a 1 in 7 chance of winning his pass line bet. This is only marginally better than losing with certainty on the come-out roll.
(c) In standard craps, the house advantage for the pass line bet is 1.414 percent. In Crapless Craps, the house advantage for the pass line bet is 5.382 percent. In a fast-paced game such as craps, this distinction is huge and is largely responsible for the game's lack of success in the casino marketplace. In short, the game is widely regarded as a sucker game.